Half of the U.S. is suffering from drought, with effects from crop losses reaching far. Drought in the central and western U.S. will likely remain, while forecasts expect new drought developments in California, the Southwest, the southern Rockies, Texas and Florida.

The U.S. Drought Monitor releases new drought maps each Thursday and is a joint project between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, United States Department of Agriculture and University of Nebraska – Lincoln.